MAGINNESS FEARS SF HAS DITCHED CIVIC FORUM
Tuesday 26th June 2007

SDLP North Belfast MLA Alban Maginness said he fears Sinn Fein has ditched its commitment to the Civic Forum as part of a deal with the DUP.

He said: “We in the SDLP have consistently called for the reconvening of the Civic Forum, which is a constituent element of the Good Friday Agreement. Now that we have devolution, the Civic Forum can be an important way of underpinning power-sharing and partnership in the wider community. Sinn Fein has generally supported that position but I fear that things may be changing now.

“On Monday in the Assembly, I asked Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness to reaffirm his total commitment to the re-establishment of the Civic Forum. He pointedly refused to do so. It was a simple question, requiring a simple answer, but instead we got a lot of prevarication.

“The DUP has consistently attacked the Forum and even yesterday their spokespersons slammed it as a waste. I fear that the Sinn Fein leadership may have bought into their cynical attitude as the price of a wider deal with the DUP.”

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